UKC

I am looking to gauge the general opinion of climbing competition coverage and also the appetite for it.

As for which competitions, I'm speaking of big invitationals competitions (like LA SPORTIVA LEGENDS ONLY & SISU MASTERS), opens (such as CWIF & HARDMOVES), nationals (BBC's, ABC's, etc) and also internationals (IFSC world cups).

I have seen a number of posts (on UKC, social media etc) criticising what is out there at the moment, conversely I have seen a number of posts that are also very positive too.

So, a couple of questions:

1) What is your opinion of competition coverage at the moment?

2) Would you watch/listen to a "Match Of The Day" style round up that encompassed climbing competitions around the world?

3) What would you say is the best thing about competition coverage right now?

4) What would you like to see improved the most?

In reply to liamlonsdale:

1) There's too much of it
2) No
3) There isn't that much of it
4) Er..., less of it?

Sorry if these aren't the responses you were after but I've as much interest in climbing competitions as tiddlywinks competitions.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

In general I'm pretty happy with most of what I get to watch. I don't generally have time to watch all of qualis and semis and finals, but I like that I could if I had nothing better to do.

I think it's a huge shame that the IFSC feels obliged to stage events in places like Chongqing where they know in advnace that they won't beable to provide decent coverage, and then make matter worse by releasing two minutes of complete crap in lieu of Qualification highlights.

Oh, and I'm talking about bouldering. I have very little interest in lead and none whatsoever in speed.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

1. I love to watch Ifsc bouldering comps, not so much the lead comps though they're a bit boring tbh. I always watch the legends only comps, and think they're always good. I have watched a few where the quality has been a bit crappy or the sounds been weird but this seems to have been a lot less lately.

2.no, doesn't really appeal to me.

3. I would say it seems to be taken much more seriously now and feels like a proper production, the commentating has really improved too, you seem to be at home in the commentators box and your enthusiasm definitely comes through.

4. I don't know how you'd improve, I think it's just a progression thing and as you try different things, some will work, some won't.

In reply to liamlonsdale:



It's usually good but it is not consistently good.


Maybe. But I'm not really interested in 'round ups', I want to see the whole thing. Climbing is a new sport and it should do what works with the new technology i.e. internet streaming/on demand and not get caught up trying to emulate TV formats which will become less relevant over time anyway.


Getting athletes that missed finals involved in the commentary.


Consistency. There should be a minimum standard of camera quality and number of cameras so you get to see every climb, there should be an option for replays and there should be a requirement for either live streaming or getting video uploaded very shortly after the event. Without this the sport will never build an audience.

In reply to pec:


It's a bit of an odd complaint, unless you are being forced, Clockwork Orange fashion, into watching it.

In reply to pec:

But you have enough interest to whine about it.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Hi Liam,
THe IFSC events are well covered imo, but as previously mentioned, the streaming can be dodgy. We really do need to get consistent coverage, or it will turn people off.
For the events you mention, I think there would be a market for a MOTD style highlights programme. If this can be done reasonably professionally, with informative and knowledgeable commentators / presenters, there are enough outlets for it, and I think it would be a good way of attracting an audience to the events.
The best thing is the fact its there at all! The coverage is reasonable given the resources available, and there is a will to improve.
I'm not sure i woud say there is any one thing "to improve". This for me would encompass all areas being developed, which I think is happening as coverage matures, and would require development of the comp formats as well as the coverage. One thing I think would help straightaway, would be different camera angles, as the viewer doesn't really get any idea of eactly how steep some of those climbs are. We who are involved in comps know what angles the walls are at, but for casual viewers, the head on view doesnt show how the wall is angled. Maybe small cameras hidden in the wall could give angles without intruding on the overall view?

In reply to liamlonsdale:

I really enjoy watching it live and look forward to it being on, but like most sport it loses almost everything once you know the result.
The coverage of the Japan event last week was great, although I don't doubt it would be prohibitive to cover all comps as well as that.

I can well understand that some events may be difficult to stream on the day due to unforeseen problems but IMHO if there's no commitment in advance from the organiser to try to stream an event live due to political reasons the IFSC should not be involved.

In reply to john arran:

Finals just gone up youtube.com/watch?v=ic0jR9eBdTs&

In reply to john arran:

You can stream from China, we have done in the past but it is very stop start, or so I am told as I am normally at every event. The decision not to stream was made by the IFSC both this year in Chongqing and last year in Haiyang - I was told that someone from the CMA (Chinese Mountaineering Association) had a fix to stream via a proxy, this has worked in the past, obviously it didn't work or the method has now been blocked.

So it is not lack of willing from the local organiser or the national federation.

In reply to Ian W:


I have enough interest in climbing to whine about an aspect of it which I find completely anathema to everything I value about climbing.
Of course I realise competitions aren't going to go away anytime soon and I'm not going to loose any sleep over it.
I was in two minds as to whether to click "submit message" after I'd written that but I deceided that it wouldn't do any harm to remind some people that a great many climbers, possibly even a majority, either actively dislike competitions or are totally indifferent to them.
Most people who think that way won't even bother clicking on this thread so the rest of you can "dislike" away if it makes you feel any better.

In reply to AlanLittle:

Thanks for the response. Do you think you'd watch a MOTD style round up of competitions? Would it need to be bouldering only to be of interest? LL

In reply to Wsdconst:

Hey, thanks so much for the reply (and the kind words).

1) Good.
2) Interesting that you wouldn't find a round up appealing, why is that?
3) Did you see the CWIF live stream? Did you like the 1hr pre-show that Jim & Mina did? Why?
4) OK, I appreciate the insight.

Thanks again, LL

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:

Really good points there. In response to (3) would you be interested in learning more about those athletes?

Thanks so much! LL

In reply to Ian W:

Hi Ian, thanks for this. Very useful info.

Out of interest, did you see the IFSC Bouldering WC in Kazo? They had cameras positioned around the walls which made for some interesting viewing in semis & finals ... "whites of their eyes" type stuff!

Thanks again, LL

In reply to john arran:

Thanks for the answer John - I agree, Kazo coverage was very good indeed. LL

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Kazo was Japanese broadcast TV though wasn't it, so perhaps slightly more resources available than usual?

In reply to pec:

I also accept competition climbing is very different to other aspects of climbing; but not anathema. And i would expect anyone with no interest in comps to ignore this thread; as i would ignore any thread on (for eg) horse racing, in which I have no interest. What i certainly would not do is make any derogatory comment about it. Just because I have no interest in it or actively dislike it doesn't mean I should try to prevent others enjoying it.
And I'm not sure great the number of dislikers is; pick a random 10 walls around the country and count up the number of entrants in the bouldering leagues / ladders from their websites, then consider there are way in excess of 450 walls in the UK to get an idea of participation levels in comps, and that most new climbers enter the sport via the walls / youth comp scene.........its a different branch of the sport, and one that is growing rapidly.
I have no idea where you live, but come and watch the British Bouldering Champs in Sheffield in July, and see how you get on with the idea!

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Hi LL,
Yes I did - thats the stuff I was referring to. Bloody hell, there was some clever type who did a pretty good job last year with an old model iphone and a pair of earbuds..........wouldn't mind getting him involved again.........any ideas?

Ian

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Not as an extra segment in the competition coverage before the climbing starts. Bouldering competitions are already quite long, if there's extra bits at the beginning or end I'll skip over them.

In reply to Graeme Alderson:



It's a difficult one. At what point would it be right to stop working with a willing federation due to higher political restrictions they probably don't agree with? When should sport say no due to politics? I suppose that point is where the sport itself is seen to be suffering, or at least not doing as well as if it hadn't agreed the event. I don't suppose that's the case at the moment but official restrictions on broadcast and free speech are still pretty hard to swallow.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Hi Liam


Not sure I follow the various events consistently enough judge whether there's too much or too little, but of what I have seen (CWIF most recently) really enjoyed it.

Having the time watch events live is almost impossible for me, so any coverage I do watch is generally after the event.

Finding replays can be a pain - sometimes they're posted on Twitter, or somewhere transient at the time, then become very hard to track down later. The IFSC website is almost impossible to navigate, and what is there is often very out of date. eg. CWIF from 2014 but not 2016.


Yes, again that would fit into an 'after the event' experience, and would also serve as a place to find full replays.


Involvement (commentary, spots etc.) from other climbers, past competitors, etc.


Getting the scoring (and nationalities!) right during broadcast - often seems an comprehensible mess or just plain wrong. Split-screen where possible, otherwise you're just covering half the action.

Where live video isn't possible, perhaps a live audio commentary would still work, or at the very least an accurate near-live score feed.

Again I'd flag up 'findability' here - not everyone will be glued to Twitter waiting for a feed link to appear moments before the event starts. So something cohesive like Epic TV or BMC TV where you can look for upcoming live events as well as replays.


Really enjoyed your CWIF commentary Liam, with Mina - was a really gripping event, even as a replay when I knew the outcome already.

Cheers
Roland

In reply to liamlonsdale:
This is the third year I've followed the IFSC bouldering WC and I really enjoy watching it. I suspect that Shauna's success helped me get into it, but now I feel like I know a bit more about the competitors, I'd likely continue watching regardless. All my answers below will be based exclusively on this, because I haven't watched any other coverage.

Over the three seasons I've been following, I've definitely noticed an improvement in the production quality, and I hope that continues!

Probably not. I prefer bulletin/summary material as text, which I can read when I have a spare minute (e.g. waiting for a train, on a break at work). If I'm going to sit down and watch video, I prefer it to do it 'properly' with my big monitor and speakers. Definitely just a personal thing, and possibly a hangover from the 90s/early 00s when video streaming on my phone wasn't possible!

The fact that it's readily available, on demand, online.

My main problem with watching most TV (to be honest, I don't know how it is with other sports) is that it's very difficult to get it legally without an expensive subscription. That's not to say I'm averse to paying: I'd get on fine with a pay-per-view model; it's the subscription for a load of stuff that I don't want that I object to.

As others have mentioned, the camera angles are possibly the biggest area for improvement. My gripe would be that we quite often miss what is going on with one of the competitors because the camera is pointing at the other one, even though they're just resting on the mat. I quite liked the 'inset' style solution employed at the recent comp in Chongqing, but I feel that there are better solutions available with online tech.

I remember way back when Sky first launched their interactive service, you could 'press the red button' and select a camera angle. One of the available options was always the edit/mix that they broadcast live, but in this case, there could be one that always followed the men, another that always followed the woman, and a wide field one that showed everything, for example. Since this is a new sport and we have the opportunity to define how it's going to be broadcast/streamed/etc. without the constraints of traditional formats, I think there's space for a lot of creativity, subject I suppose to budget/staff.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

I have been watching lead and bouldering for a couple of years or so and find them very enjoyable, I go along with all the above positive suggestions. I think the current format is good, I like the order of lowest qualifiers first, this gives the audience a good understanding of the difficulty and allows the atmosphere and excitement to build as the climbers get higher on the problems/routes as the competition progresses. For that reason I would not watch a TV style roundup as it would be devoid of the buildup of tension and excitement.
The quallies/semis and finals are quite long broadcasts as it is so I dont think any extra pre or post topics would be beneficial, instead there could be more guest climbers and route setters joining the commentry team during the comps as this adds some interesting insights about the comps and also about the individuals.
The obvious weakness as has been mentioned several times is the camera coverage, but I'm sure this can be easily remedied with modern technollogy, close ups of climbers along with different views would really bring the climbing and climbers to life, there must be some amazing expressions by these dedicated athletes when making the moves!

In reply to liamlonsdale:

1) MOTD style extended highlights are the way forward. They would have to be ready for the end of the same day however.
2) live stream is great but it's Dull AF And too long. The format lends itself to split screen or highlights.
3) get a commentator that has a f*cking clue/ ounce of excitement about him. I though you did a great job that one time.
4) scorecard on screen. Stats everywhere. Reference other spots broadcasts.
5) get reactions from the competitors after boulders. Back stage shots. A bit of human interest.

In reply to liamlonsdale:







2. If you do one I'll give it a go, I've never really liked the whole highlight thing I'd rather watch the whole thing tbh.

3. Yeah I watched the cwif live stream, I did watch some of the pre show but I must admit I skipped a lot of it for no reason other than limited time really.

In reply to liamlonsdale:


Good

Yes. In particular I like the recaps where they show every Boulder in the comp/round being climbed

I like the fact that they seemed to have for the most part ditched the split screen in semis. Better to possibly miss seeing the person you wanted to watch than seeing them but at such a small size that you can't watch it properly

Well a "red button" style interactive stream where you can choose which climber/bloc to watch would be cool - one step at a time though I guess! The worst thing for me though at the moment is the epic tv commentator guy. The extent of his lack of knowledge of any of the rules, time formats, etc is unbelievable. Bring back Jon partridge!

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Hi Liam,

Here is our recent experience of coverage from the IFSC WC recently.

Our local bouldering wall plan to show it on the evening so we make arrangements to get there (After a bouldering comp my daughter had taken part in 1hrs drive away). So we have driven 2hrs, my daughter has competed most of the day and we get back having stopped off for a take away pizza ready to watch the finals. Imagine my daughters dissapointment when the wall, having spent ages trying to get some kind of feed then find they are unable to show it. (I managed after 10 mins at home).

What i am getting at is that its a PITA finding these links and actually getting them to work. I follow you on twitter and find it a great way to keep up to date. But the IFSC website is absolutely pathetic and if they think its going to attract people who are from a non climbing background (Remember they are trying for olympic inclusion) then they really need to invest in a proper web designer.

I am not from a climbing background, however now that my daughter competes i find competitions fascinating and find your commentary and presentation skills excellent (My daughter podiumed at The Depot open which you presented)

Its just too much effort at present to find the dates, find the appropriate links and then actually find them to be working when they should be.

I think really what i am saying is

1) Good but not consistant enough
2) Yes, definately
3) You
4) Everything

In reply to liamlonsdale:

I usually watch the IFSC bouldering comps but have been finding myself viewing various bouldering comps more recently so my answers are based on those experiences. I do enjoy watching lead too (IFSC is the only coverage I've watched lead in though- it is good).

1) I enjoy the coverage, it has improved dramatically over the past few years (IFSC bouldering comps) and I hope it will only improve further. There are obvious differences between big comps with lots of money such as Rockstars and the smaller (production scale wise) but equally well known comps such as CWIF. Getting the quality of broadcast consistent would be good.

2) I would give it a go but in all honesty I like to watch the full comp (time permitting) so would probably not make a habit of viewing such material.

3) Commentators that have a clue and getting athletes in to commentate that haven't made finals. I feel they add an extra insight to the competition and the thought processes that can be involved in competition climbing.

4) More consistency of coverage across the board (I know this is difficult due to budgets and staff at various companies/ competitions). Camera angles that show the angle of the problems more.

Thanks, and keep up the good work!

In reply to liamlonsdale:

1) It's a lot better than it was. A couple of years ago it was rare to get a watchable stream on ifsc, even after the event. Always used to have mute on as I couldn't stand the commentary.

2) Nope, always get frustrated when I sit down to watch the round up instead of the full stream. It's not like football where you just want to see your favourite competitor. I love watching everyone compete not just Shauna.

3)Guest commentators, they've all done such an excellent job so far.

4) When the stream and commentary is good - nothing. This year has been one of the easiest to follow, occasional dodgy camera angle but nothing horrific.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

1) I think international coverage is pretty good but national coverage (for UK) is poor to non existent. The US does much better. The commentating at IFSC events has been very hit and miss, mostly miss in fact since they got rid of Dan Finn a few years ago - a big mistake in my opinion. I like your commentary Liam and was really hoping you'd be commentating the IFSC events this season because: a) you're obviously well into it b) you're very well informed c) speak clearly and eloquently and of course you're a climber.

2) Possibly though since I tend to watch the IFSC events and other major comps in their entirety I might not if I've watched that comp already. Coverage of nationals could be interesting and stuff not covered elsewhere.

3) The fact the IFSC events are available for free, live or any other time, via the internet. The co-commentators are often very good, usually the routesetters or competitors who didn't get through to the next round.

4) Coverage of UK nationals. More and better interviews. Behind the scenes and other related stuff is completely missing. I often wonder what competitors are doing between events, how and where they train, what it's like in the places they're in. Coverage of qualification rounds. Coverage of related news, like for instance, why is Alex Puccio not in more events this year.

I also think it would be cool if some of the live coverage was screened live at a venue where people could watch together and create a bit of an atmosphere and socialise - the way football matches are shown in pubs. I think climbing walls would be an obvious choice.


I'm also guessing the appetite would be greater abroad as the UK seems to still have a bit of a negative attitude towards comps - perhaps a result of having loads of conservative old time climbers who steadfastly refuse to move with the times. I'm sure this will change as a younger generation of wall bred climbers comes through and climbing walls grow in number and quality.

In reply to lx:


I quite liked him on Epic TV. Has a good voice and a bit of personality. But for the World Cups I definitely get the impression he's not that interested and probably rarely watched a climbing comp before landing this job.

Not sure what criteria the IFSC use when choosing their commentators but genuine enthusiasm for the sport doesn't seem to be part of it when I think that should be top of the list. The best professional commentators on the BBC all have extensive specialist knowledge and a real passion for the sports they cover. And the best climbing comp commentators do to, often other competitors, routesetters or genuine followers of the sport. And sharing of that inside knowledge is a really valuable thing, especially in those moments where not much is happening on screen.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

I'd say one glaring hole in the coverage at the moment is the lack of information about non European athletes. Tomoa Narasaki won at Chongqing yet we know almost nothing about the guy. It would be really interesting to know more about him, how he's viewed by other Japanese climbers etc. We don't even know much about Jongwon Chon. Obviously the language barrier is the reason so it would take some work and a good translator to get information and interviews but I think its important.

In the Chongqing semis the co-commentator (Alex ?? - he wasn't even properly introduced) spoke about Alexy Rubtsov and it was really interesting, stuff like the fact he pays for all the comps and travel himself, working in a gym the rest of the year etc.. If you don't know anything about an athlete it's hard to relate to them, hard to get behind them.

In reply to stp:

I didn't get the impression that he had a lack of enthusiasm for comps, I thought he seemed quite into it. It was just the number of simple factual errors. Eg. When Sean McColl was co commentating and mentioned that one of the men's problems may contain a downwards jump which is illegal - so epic tv guy, (don't know his name), starts banging on about have the judges seen it, will the climber get disqualified and starts asking Sean questions which make no sense. Nathan co commentating had to correct him when he stated that "if you top a problem without using the bonus hold then you don't get the score for the bonus". In the last comp he was explaining the finals time format for the semi finals. All of these things are really basic - a full list of IFSC rules and competition formats is on its website. Surely if you were given a job like this you would do a bit of research. It's just really unprofessional

In reply to lx:

I've noticed when something exciting is happening he doesn't seem ... particularly excited. This often contrasts with the co commentator.

And his lack of knowledge gave me the impression he's not been following the events in previous years.


Yeah I agree. But likewise I think if you were really into the World Cups you would know more too just because you're interested in it. Fans of any sport naturally pick up a lot of knowledge without even trying. And those of us on here who are into the comps seem to know more too.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

The below relates to bouldering only – I have no interest in lead or speed climbing comps.

1) What is your opinion of competition coverage at the moment?
I tend to watch them all, CWIF, Legends Only, ABS finals, Psicobloc, IFSC etc and generally enjoy them all. I think showing quali’s is a little pointless. But standards are on the up.
It’s one of those things that when it’s done well it’s a fantastic event to watch

2) Would you watch/listen to a "Match Of The Day" style round up that encompassed climbing competitions around the world?
I might if it wasn’t just comp highlights. Would be great to have interviews with competitors, coaches, route setters, officials etc. to give a more human element to the whole production.
I also think it would be of merit to include non-comp related news e.g. a chat with Pooch as to why she’s not competing, or any significant rock problems that have been done. Heck put in a product news section too – if you can get people excited about buying shoes, mats and chalk, sponsors are more likely to put money your way (as long as it’s not in return for positive reviews!).

3) What would you say is the best thing about competition coverage right now?
The quality of the picture has gone up – think the last one was 1080p. Generally they’re available live, or if not, pretty quickly after the event so don’t need to be in social-media purgatory trying to avoid the results.

4) What would you like to see improved the most?
Right.. where to begin!
Some of this is IFSCs-specific, other points more general.

Cameras – Commit to split-screen and make sure the cameramen/producer is on the ball. As others have mentioned, the amount of times someone tops whilst the camera is looking at someone resting, or they’ve climbed out of shot is infuriating. More than one angle is always welcome, but if they’re showing the wrong one, it’s pointless. When this happens, it just suggests that the producer isn’t paying attention at all as they’ve not noticed they’re showing the wrong thing.

Production – The IFSC have recently tweaked their on-screen graphics. But aside from the climbers’ name, the other text is illegible (I assume it says country, height, DOB etc?). On-screen scores – no real reason for these not to be on-screen the whole time, at least for the current climber. Timing with live events is tricky, but pre-show interviews, analysis/walk-throughs of the problems (with the route setters?) and suchlike would fill the time better than just waiting for people to come out.

Sound – A minor bug-bear, but you need to ensure the crowd and arena is mic’d up as this too adds to the atmosphere. Easier in indoor venues, and some of this might be cultural, but in Kazo and Chongqing there was hardly any noise from the audience which makes the whole thing feel a bit flat. Not sure if this was because they were a quiet crowd though? I read somewhere that at Chongqing the crowd were cheering when competitors fell, rather than topped, but hey-ho…

Commentary – Something IFSC have always been criticised for. I liked Daniel as he showed genuine excitement at the climbs but crucially kept up a nice positive patter throughout. I also think you commentate really well as it’s obvious you’re passionate about the sport and know what you’re talking about. It’s a tricky job, as often there’s not actually anything happening on screen. But if two climbers are sitting on the mat, saying “The two climbers are just sitting down” isn’t engaging. Take the opportunity to talk about their climbing, strengths/weaknesses, achievements on rock, past seasons, or even just analysing why their attempt failed – conditions, weak on pinches, too short/tall. The commentary for me is what makes the whole show engaging or not. When Sean McColl was co-commentating, his geeky stats and impressive knowledge of the comp scene was great to hear and really added depth to it, but even then – there was long periods of time when no one was saying anything. Again, I appreciate it’s hard, especially having commentated on the quali’s and semi’s beforehand to keep wittering on, but it is a job! Compare it to commentary from other sports where there’s rarely radio-silence.
I think 2-3 commentators is a must for each comp too – surely there must be some non-competing ex-comp climbers (Killian, Jon Partridge?) who would be interested in doing this? You could then have a permanent set-up of anchorman, ex-competitor and then guest-spot of someone who either missed out on the final, or is a local to the scene.
Obviously however, the key factor here is £££ as these people wall all need to be paid + expenses.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

I only watch bouldering, and sometimes lead (a bit boring).

1) What is your opinion of competition coverage at the moment?
IFSC is good, except for China, which to me proves china is not ready to be allowed to participate, the censorship of the internet is dispicable.

2) Would you watch/listen to a "Match Of The Day" style round up that encompassed climbing competitions around the world?

Probably not. I do not care about who wins, I care about the excitement of the competition and watching climbers on awesome problems.

3) What would you say is the best thing about competition coverage right now?

Generally the quality is very good. Sometimes the commentator is a bit annoying though (saying things that are not true about for example rules of the competition, which I think is preventable).

4) What would you like to see improved the most?
- better camera angles
- improved commentary
- live stream of British competitions might help give UK competition climbing a boost (which is good for increasing interest in the sport and getting more kids to climb!). More senior competitions in the UK would be good anyway.

In reply to liamlonsdale:

Really happy that the bouldering is on and is free - I watched most of the world cups last year, and all of them this year. Sometimes it is a bit slow when someone is resting, and the commentary can be patchy. It is also taking a while to get to know all the competitors.

Yes, but they would have to show more detail than the highlights cover of the world cups, which is just too short.

It is free, you can access it when you want, and shows the whole thing.

As with others, more camera angles, showing people as they climb, and replays.
It would be good to be able to edit out some of the "nothing is happening" moments, and replay the exciting bits. As an aside, I think it can be worth showing slow motion on certain moves, as adjustments can be too fast to easily see in real time. I video my own climbing, and I notice much more when I play them back in slow motion.
At the moment the show really appeals to climbers. If you want to expand the appeal, then you need more interviews/back story for the athletes, and you also need to explain more about what is going on. The Tour de France show on channel 4 did this well with little 3 minute snippets by Boardman/Bolting showing the affect of drafting etc, often done quite humorously. Sections on grips, dynos, lockoffs etc by some of the pros would really help.

Hope that helps to improve it all!

Cheers,

Robert

In reply to liamlonsdale:

I have no idea how possible or easy it would be, but ...
when watching a comp later it would be great to have a button which forwarded automatically to the start of the climber's next attempt. I suppose you would need to put placemarkers of some sort in manually with a 'jump to next' option button. Dunno if that would be possible with common browsers.
Maybe instead, or as well, have an Action Only edit, where only the actual on-wall footage is left in and all the waiting and looking time is removed. I actually quite like some of those moments as it adds to the tension so I'm not sure I would use this much unless it could be turned on or off in mid-stream, but being able to skip 'dead space' for competitors I'm less interested in would be very handy.

In reply to john arran:
John makes a good point about the auto forward place marker jobbie.

In surf comps, the replay footage will have a marker for each of the surfers three scored waves (labelled with the score) as well as an other points of interest or lower scoring waves.

This is totally achievable in a bouldering event. Mark up the start of each time period, each top/ significant effort. Doesn't stop you watching the whole lot, just allows you to jump if someone is taking A 4 minutes breather (Fanny)